


Love is Blind... and Deaf, Apparantly

by booyahfordham



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Angst, Blindness, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Panic Attacks, deafness
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-09-04
Updated: 2016-08-11
Packaged: 2018-04-18 22:28:27
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 2,415
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4722686
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/booyahfordham/pseuds/booyahfordham
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>In which Dean helps Castiel recover from blindness and deafness.</p>
<p>{Trigger warning for panic attacks in chapter two}</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

“Dean!” Cas shouted, knocking the hunter out of the way as the witch threw a flaming green ball in their direction.

The flame missed Dean, thanks to Cas, but it hit the fallen angel square in the stomach, tossing him against the wall of the motel. Fortunately, the ball wasn’t anywhere close to as powerful as it seemed, and his clothing provided a couple layers of protection, allowing his torso to remain relatively unharmed, aside from a limited number of minor burns. Nevertheless, the smack of his head against the wall left a hole in the plaster, and Cas was unconscious the moment his skull struck it.

Dean glanced quickly at Cas and stabbed at the witch, managing only to slice her arm after she dodged his attack, and she managed to finish whatever spell she had begun casting on Cas. She threw another green blaze at Dean, this time hitting him in the shoulder and knocking him backwards, onto the ground. She grabbed his knife and climbed on top of him, ready to slit his throat.

Suddenly, she was on the floor with a knife sticking out of her. Sam stood beside Dean and pulled him to his feet. Dean gave his brother a brief nod of thanks before running to Cas. He kneeled beside the angel, who had landed upright against the wall.

“Cas?” He called, making an effort to shake him awake.

He came to, groggy at first. “Dean?” He mumbled.

“Yeah, Cas. You’re okay,” Dean reassured gently. “Can you tell me where you are?”

Panic spread over the angel’s face. “D-Dean?” He said, a little clearer and louder.

“Cas, it’s okay. I’m right here. You’re fine,” Dean calmed.

Cas’s breathing sped up, and his body shook in fear. “I-I c-can’t…” Cas trailed off. His eyes filled with tears. He was looking around, turning his head frantically.

Dean put his hand on the angel’s right shoulder, attempting to ground him. Cas flinched at the contact and grabbed Dean’s wrist with his left hand. Cas turned his head in the direction of his hand, however, his eyes didn’t fix on it. He reached up with his other hand, seeking to put a face to the hand on his shoulder.

Dean pulled his face away, confused by Castiel’s reaching hand. Sam, however, realized what had happened. “Let him,” Sam instructed.

Without questioning and with quick understanding, Dean did what Sam told him to. He took Cas’s hand and brought it up to his face. Cas felt around for a second, and quickly calmed down when he realized who the hand on his shoulder belonged to. “Dean,” He stated, closer to a declaration than a question.

Dean nodded in return, allowing Cas to feel him move his head. “Dean, I-I can’t see or hear anything,” He shifted his hand onto Dean’s shoulder. His words slurred together.

“I think-” Dean cut himself off. He turned to Sam for assistance. “How can I talk to him?” He asked.

Sam thought before speaking. “Helen Keller learned to speak by having her teacher draw letters in her palm, with her fingers,”

Dean turned back to Cas. He took Cas’s hand in his own, and drew the letter ‘S’. He closed the angel’s hand.

“S?” Cas asked.

He opened Cas’s hand and wrote another letter, closing the hand when he finished.

“P?” Cas asked again, realizing what Dean was doing.

Again, Dean opened the hand and wrote a letter.

“E,” Cas spoke, surer of himself.

Cas opened his hand again, welcoming Dean to sketch another letter.

“L,” Cas realized with a smile. “Spell? The witch put a spell on me?” Cas’s speech remained a little off, probably because he couldn’t hear himself.

Dean took Cas’s hand and brought it to his cheek, allowing Cas to feel as he nodded his head.

“Dean, we should go back to the bunker, search for a cure,” Sam suggested.

“Yeah,” Dean agreed. He stood up, gently pulling on Cas’s arm to tell him to stand.

Cas stumbled to his feet and nearly collapsed, only to have his arm caught by Dean, keeping him from falling to the floor yet again. Sam went over to the witch’s body and picked it up almost effortlessly. Dean brought Cas’s arm over his shoulder and wrapped his own around the angel’s waist. Sam led the way out of the motel room, followed by Cas, who leaned heavily on Dean for support.

“You wanna drive, Sammy? I’m gonna sit in the back with Cas,” Dean proposed, tossing his brother the keys to the Impala.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comments and kudos make me a very happy boy, so please? :3


	2. Chapter 2

Sam caught the keys and nodded to his brother. He put the witch’s body in the trunk, and he walked around to the other side of the car and got in the driver’s seat. Dean opened the door and put Cas’s hand on the seat to tell him what they were doing, and the angel allowed Dean to lower him into the car before scooting over to sit behind Sam. Dean got in after Cas, and sat toward the middle of the car. Cas felt around for Dean’s arm, and once he found it, he grasped it as if it were his lifeline.

Sam started the car, and Dean felt Cas tense up and his breathing quicken. Dean put his hand on Cas’s, the one clutching Dean’s arm. He rubbed it with his thumb, comforting the anxious man. He watched in wonder as Cas relaxed and sat back in his seat. With every bump or quick turn, he reminded the angel that he was still there with a rub on the back or a squeeze of the hand.

Sam pulled over near to a field, a suitable place in the middle of nowhere to bury the witch. He didn’t ask Dean to come out of the car and assist him when he noticed that Cas had rested his head on Dean’s shoulder and fallen asleep.

When Sam got out of the car, Dean didn’t make an effort to watch him. He attempted to stay as still as possible to avoid disturbing Cas’s sleep.

Nonetheless, Cas’s head shot straight up at the jolt of the trunk slamming closed, despite Sam’s best efforts to close it lightly. He blinked repeatedly, turning his head and endeavoring to get a glimpse of his surroundings. Dean watched Cas’s chest rise and fall faster and faster. He grabbed the fallen angel’s wrist, struggling to show him that he was there, but Cas ripped his arm away with a yelp of fear and shock.

Dean watched his friend scramble away from him, pressing his back up against the door of the Impala. He reached out and took the angel’s hand firmly, not letting him flinch away again. The hunter pressed Cas’s hand to his cheek and held it there. The terror on Cas’s face subsided, replaced by recognition and relief.

“Dean,” Cas breathed.

Dean allowed Cas to remove his hand from his cheek, but didn’t relinquish his hold on the angel. Cas moved back into a comfortable position beside Dean, his right shoulder touching Dean’s left.

“Thank you,” Cas whispered, afraid that he had spoken too loudly due to his lack of hearing.

Dean squeezed Cas’s hand in response. They sat in silence, and Dean watched Cas’s face as the angel fell asleep again, this time with his head against the car door.

Sam opened the trunk of the car gently, placing the shovel back gently. He closed the trunk, struggling to be gentle.

This time, when Castiel woke with a terrified start, he pushed himself toward Dean instead of away. His head met Dean’s chest, and both hands moved to grip Dean’s left knee and thigh. Almost immediately, Dean wrapped his left arm tightly around his frightened friend’s shoulders. His right hand came to a rest on top of Cas’s left. He rubbed the angel’s shoulder and hand reassuringly, attempting to calm him.

Sam got into the car quickly, and Dean felt Castiel flinch at each slight movement of the Impala. When the engine roared to life and became a constant, Cas began to relax, allowing did Dean to relax. Cas drifted off for a third time, this time with his head buried in Dean’s chest.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Leave me a comment, and tell me what you thought!


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! It's been a while, and I've been busy with school (taking all AP classes this year, and it's been kinda stressful). I actually wrote this chapter a while ago but I forgot to publish it. Sorry about that :( Hope you enjoy! -Finn

By the time they parked the car near the Bunker, it was three o’clock in the morning. When Cas lifted his head from Dean’s chest, he appeared a little disoriented, but otherwise calm. Dean let Cas grasp his arm tight as he led him from the car.

Once the brothers had gotten him into the bunker, Dean brought Cas into the angel’s bedroom. Dean put toothpaste on his toothbrush to let Cas brush his teeth and got him his pajamas. Cas tried to remove his clothing on his own; however, Dean was forced to interfere when he couldn’t get the buttons on his shirt undone. Dean had been hesitant, but the exhaustion on Cas’s face forced him to aid his friend, no matter the level of awkwardness that came with the task. Once Cas was ready, Dean brought him to his bed and eased him into it. As the angel reclined on his bed, he took Cas’s hand and began to draw letters.

“ _Goodnight_ ,” He wrote. He rested his hand on Cas’s shoulder for a second before turning to leave.

He felt the angel grab his wrist, and he turned around to face his best friend.

“Stay,” Cas murmured tentatively. “Please? Until I fall asleep.”

Dean took a seat on Cas’s bed. He watched Cas’s face relax as bed dipped with Dean’s weight.

Within a minute, Cas’s grip of Dean’s wrist loosened. Dean watched as his breathing slowed and his face relaxed further. He tenderly removed his hand from under the angel’s and went to the library to speak to Sam.

“What’re you thinking?” Dean asked when he was in sight of his brother.

“This book says that spells cast verbally by a low-level witch will wear off within 36 hours of the witch’s death,” Sam glanced up at Dean, who sat on the table nearly on top of his research material, looking down at the Men of Letters journal he was reading from.

“So it’ll go away on its own? Sweet. Cas is really messed up ‘cause of this. Every little movement freaks him out. He nearly had a panic attack in the car. Scared the shit out of me,” Dean filled Sam in on what had happened in his absence.

The younger Winchester shifted his gaze to the table he was sitting at. “Um, Dean?”

“Yeah?”

“Can I ask you something personal?” Sam ventured.

“I guess,” Dean answered skeptically.

“You don’t have to answer, but don’t get angry,” Sam warned.

“Okay, Sammy. Out with it.”

“Do you think… I mean, like…” Sam paused before taking a deep breath. “Do you have feelings for Cas?”

Dean’s head snapped down, and he stared at the floor. His jaw clenched, and he could feel his cheeks growing red.

Sam noticed his brother’s embarrassment and stood up. “’Cause, I mean, if you did, I wouldn’t mind. I only care that you’re happy, and whoever does that for you is okay in my book,” He reassured.

Dean lifted his head. Tears threatened to escape his eyes. He nodded at Sam and half-smiled.

“Thanks, man,” He said, his voice cracking.

Sam pulled the older man into a hug, and he felt how much his brother was shaking.

“I think I love him,” Dean muttered.

Surprised, Sam broke the hug. “He feels the same, you know,” Sam smiled encouragingly.

“You think?” Dean asked, hope filling his stomach.

“Yeah,” Sam said. “You should tell him,” He advised.

Dean smiled at his little brother. “Thanks, Sammy.”

Sam nodded, and Dean walked out of the library and toward his own bedroom.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Leave a comment and tell me what you thought! Constructive criticism is very much appreciated :) I'll give you a cookie for a comment... :3


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so so so so so sorry for the wait. I know it's been forever, but here it is: the final chapter. Thank you, lovelies.  
> \- Finn

Dean couldn’t grasp how he felt after his conversation with Sam. He didn’t understand if it was excitement, relief, or joy, but he knew it felt fantastic, as though he’d just solved his biggest problem, and somebody had lifted the weight of the world from his shoulders.

On his way back to his room, Cas’s door caught his eye and he decided it would be best to check on him. When Cas woke up in the morning, they would have a long and half-silent conversation, and Dean would explain to him that his vision and hearing would return within a day or two.

The instant his hand touched Cas’s doorknob, there was a loud crash from inside the room and loud panting. Dean threw the door open and flipped the light switch, barging into the room. Cas stood at least three feet from his bed, and the lamp that should have been on his nightstand was in broken pieces on the floor. The angel appeared terrified and confused. Dean ran over to him and took his arm gently. Cas jumped at the contact, and immediately had his hands reaching for a face. Dean brought his friend’s hand to his cheek and watched for the recognition in Cas’s bleary and tired eyes.

“Dean,” Cas mumbled. “I dreamt…” He trailed off, staring at a fixed point in the distance.

Dean led Cas back to his bed, making sure to avoid the mess on the floor. Once Cas was in bed, Dean didn’t wait for the angel to ask him to stay again. He sat on the bed and waited until Cas’s breathing slowed and evened before getting up. He stood beside Cas before kneeling alongside the bed and reaching out to take Castiel’s hand.

“I love you,” Dean whispered. He stood up and left the room hastily.

It seemed he fell asleep the moment his head hit the pillow.

The following morning, he woke to the smell of bacon and eggs. He stumbled, half asleep, into the kitchen, where Sam stood at the stove.

“Cas up yet?” Dean asked.

“Haven’t seen him. How do you want your eggs?” Sam replied, notably too joyfully for eight in the morning.

Dean shrugged and mumbled something along the lines of “I don’t care,” before zombie walking out of the kitchen. He began the trek to Cas’s room, and a showered, fully dressed, revitalized Castiel greeted him outside his door.

Dean smiled, and Cas smiled back, which halted Dean suddenly.

“Can you see me?” Dean asked, enraptured.

Cas’s smile fell, and he stood immobilized, as if debating his answer carefully. The angel made up his mind quickly, and his face became one of determination.

“I love you too.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Maybe if you enjoyed, you could give me a quick review/comment or something??? idk man  
> Thank you for reading! If you really really really loved the story, maybe follow/message me on [tumblr](http://burritofinn.tumblr.com)?


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